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Today we're talking about a World Cup knockout game: France comfortably beat Sweden three to zero.

In this game, France played steadily and beautifully, and the brightest name of the night was Mbappé.

First, a word on this France team.

France is a super-power of world soccer, a World Cup winner, with high-value players throughout.

What they do best is a very balanced overall squad — whatever the position, there's a world-class player.

And Mbappé is this team's number-one star.

He's blazing fast, gifted at his feet, one of the best goal-scoring forwards of this era.

Actually, France's fearsomeness isn't in Mbappé alone.

In the group stage, another of their stars, Dembélé, scored a hat-trick, three goals by himself.

When a team has so many players who can score, opponents get especially worn out defending — you block one, and another pops up.

This is exactly what's most fearsome about France.

Let's look at the game.

This is the knockouts, lose and you go home, and Sweden started cautiously, wanting to defend first.

France kept attacking patiently, looking for a chance.

Near the end of the first half, Mbappé finally broke the deadlock, one to zero.

This goal came at a timely moment, giving France the initiative before the break.

In the second half, France played more relaxed.

In the fifty-third minute, young player Barcola scored again, two to zero.

The game was basically beyond doubt.

In the seventy-fourth minute, Mbappé scored again, a brace, three to zero.

Scoring two by himself, Mbappé once again proved his worth today.

In the time after, France steadily controlled the game and gave Sweden no more chances.

The final score was fixed at three to zero, France advancing cleanly to the next round.

How to view this game?

For France, this is a convincing big win.

They not only won but conceded nothing, doing well at both ends.

With a top star like Mbappé and a driven young player like Barcola, France's attack is full of firepower.

As title favorites, with a game like this they sent every opponent a signal: France is coming on strong.

For Sweden, losing to France is no disgrace.

They faced one of the strongest teams in the world, and the gap in quality objectively exists.

Their World Cup journey ends here, but reaching the knockout stage is itself an affirmation.

This game also shows us how a strong team wins.

France didn't charge in headlong from the start, but patiently controlled the tempo, waiting for the chance to ripen before striking.

After taking the lead, they didn't overcommit either, but steadily defended the game out, giving the opponent not a single goal.

This maturity of "pushing when it's time to push, controlling when it's time to control" is exactly the key to a team going all the way.

That's France three to zero Sweden — a game belonging to the strong, and to Mbappé.